STARBUCKS International Expansion Proposal: Cancun, Mexico

Essay by cjberminghamUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, March 2006

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Ever since opening its first store in 1971 in Seattle's Pike Place Public Market, Starbucks coffee company has upheld its unique reputation for doing things differently than any other coffee company in the world. We provide the best combination of beans, roasts, freshness and people. Using only the finest Arabica coffees available in the world coffee market, Starbucks roasts each bean to its individual flavor peak in order to brew the world's best cup of coffee. Our freshness and quality standards are legendary, and our baristas are thoroughly trained to ensure that every customer receives knowledgeable service that is comparable to the quality of our coffee (Starbucks initial store training manual; pg. 3).

The Starbucks Corporation we know today is the result of years of growth. As mentioned before, Starbucks opened its doors in 1971. In 1982, a man by the name of Howard Schultz joined Starbucks as director of retail operations and marketing.

Schultz was interested in bringing the popularity of espresso bars in other countries to the United States. Schultz convinced the founders of Starbucks to test the concept by offering a café latte at their Starbucks stores. In 1985, he founded a café named Il Giornale, which offered espresso beverages and brewed coffees made from Starbucks' beans. In 1987, Il Giornale acquired Starbucks assets and changed the name to Starbucks Corporation. Starbucks opened its first international store in the same year, and by 1992 had completed its initial public offering with common stock being traded on the NASDAQ national market under the trading symbol "SBUX." Within 10 years of becoming Starbucks Corporation, Starbucks had 1412 store locations throughout the world, multiplying that number by more than five by the end of 2003 (Starbucks initial store training manual; pg.3). As of October 2, 2005, the number...